The Legendary Report, August 1997

-TLR- The Legendary Report, August 1997 by MindBender -TLR- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ There┤s been a while since my last warez-report. I guess that after writing my full-year report of 1996, I lost sense of direction in how to make these reports... Ionizer retired from TGR which made it even harder keeping track of what┤s out. When I was about to make a comeback on my summer-vaccation, my girlfriend broke up with me. So right now I┤m back from the "shittiest-summer-of-my-life"... * attention * always be sure to find the latest issue of this report (and older issues) on the hybrid website www.hybridism.com To gain score, follow the rules below: * Only final release version will be rated * Only releases within the 75 disk limit will be rated * Only releases that works 100% will be rated (no beta/unregistered) * Only releases in english language will be rated The first working version that is 'properly' stripped will recieve score ! All releases will be rated in a 1-5 point score (1 = crap, 5 = excellent). Trainers and "real" addons (extra missions etc. NOT sound or animations) will be rated with 1 point. Non-working games that are fixed within a 5 day period will be rated with a lesser score for each fix needed. Fixes are not awarded with score... * note * the defination of a properly stripped game is where unnecessary animations/intros/outros/speech etc is removed. The game must ofcourse still be playable (ie: Command & Conquer - Hybrid releases in 1995). Highlights in August: TLR returns after a half-a-year idleness... be aware of the nasty ratings :) HYBRID PARADIGM RAZOR CLASS - MONTHLY - - TOTALLY - ##: Group: Releases: ##: Group: Releases: ==================================== ==================================== 01) HYBRID 25 [+01] 01) PRESTIGE 95 [---] 02) PRESTIGE 14 [-01] 02) HYBRID 54 [---] 03) RAZOR 1911 08 [---] 03) RAZOR 1911 19 [+01] 04) REFLUX 04 [+01] 04) PARADIGM 13 [-01] ##: Group: Score: ##: Group: Score: ==================================== ==================================== 01) HYBRID 77 [+01] 01) PRESTIGE 262 [---] 02) PRESTIGE 30 [-01] 02) HYBRID 166 [---] 03) RAZOR 1911 16 [---] 03) RAZOR 1911 48 [+01] 04) REFLUX 10 [+01] 04) PARADIGM 38 [-01] _____ _____ ____ _____ ________________ \_ | \ \/ / _ /__\_ \_/ _ \ | _ \_ \ _/ \ \ __/___/ | / / |___| |____|___/ /_\ \___|_______/ ::d|___|::::::.\___/.:.\___\::::::::: World of Sensible Soccer - (c) Time Warner 11 disk 3p ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Authors comments: Hybrid made a great comeback this month, finding their way through the Prestige competition and finally wins the month of December. Hybrid that∩s been a active group all year, now show a strenght that havent been shown since last x-mas rush. So with a little help from their new suppliers, the present weakness of Prestige and still a tight memberlist they might keep a good lead in the beginning of next year... Releasing errors: Discworld 2 - needed fix (-1 point) Duck City - needed fix (-1 point) ======================================== Total number of releases : 25 (18) Total number of errors : 02 (02) Average points / release : 3.15 (3.42) This months total score : 77 (41) Percentage of releases : 47 % (17 %) ======================================== This months group score : 10/10 (07/10) ______ ____/\_____/\_. ___ _____ __ /___ \/ ___/\_ _/ | \_ || _/ \/ \ | / / _/ \ / _/ |/\ / `' \ \ / :| \ \ ' \/ |/ ' | |/ \: :|__|\ \_____/ |\_______\____/\__/\ \ :[FF]:\__/::::/____|:::::::::::::::::::\_/ Diamonds 3d - (c) Vagengames 06 disk 3p Infernal Tome - (c) MVP 16 disk 3p Spades Deluxe - (c) MVP 03 disk 2p Zong - (c) Zensoft 03 disk 2p ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Authors comments: I cant tell you 100% sure that the things above are not beta as REFLUX still carry it∩s bad reputation of hiding betas in their releasing-schedule. Releasing errors: ======================================== Total number of releases : 04 (02) Total number of errors : 00 (00) Average points / release : 2.50 (3.00) This months total score : 10 (06) Percentage of releases : 08 % (03 %) ======================================== This months group score : 04/10 (03/10) - PARADIGM - Nascar Racing 2 - (c) Virgin 19 disk 3p (-1p) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Authors comments: Paradigm retired this month after a three month period of high quality releases. Their last release however was not such a big success... The remains of Paradigm joined forces with Razor 1911. Releasing errors: Nascar Racing - needed fix (-1p) ======================================== Total number of releases : 01 (05) Total number of errors : 01 (05) Average points / release : 3.00 (3.20) This months total score : 03 (16) Percentage of releases : 02 % (07 %) ======================================== This months group score : 01/10 (04/10) ________________________/»|__/| ___________ \___ \ __ / __/ __/ / |/ ____/ __/_ | __/ _/ _/ _| \__ \ \/ / ) / _| / |___|\__\ \________ /___\__\__ \______\ +--------\___/≈e≈/aL!\/--------/_____\-----+ Baldies - (c) ??? 12 disk 2p Battleship - (c) Hasbro 45 disk 2p (-1p) Killing Time - (c) Studio 3DO 28 disk 3p Lights Out 3d - (c) Tiger 24 disk 2p NBA 97 Live - (c) EA Sports 36 disk 3p (-1p) NBA Hangtime - (c) GT Interactive 34 disk 3p Pelican Hill - addon - (c) Access 11 disk 1p Power F1 - (c) Eidos 16 disk 3p Red Alert - cheat - (c) Westwood 01 disk 1p Star General - (c) SSI 19 disk 2p (-1p) Touchdown - (c) ??? 12 disk 2p (-1p) Tunnel B1 Maps/Controls - (c) ??? 01 disk 1p WWF: In your house - (c) Acclaim 43 disk 2p ZPC - (c) GT Interactive 43 disk 3p ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Authors comments: Prestige which is to be called the release-machine of all times didnt make it to the no:1 position this month. Reason is that the heavy suppliers such as Zeus, ShadowMaster and Prozac are leaving the group. Prestige needs to sharpen up to become worthy competition in 1997... Releasing errors: Battleship - needed fix (-1p) NBA 97 Live - needed fix (-1p) Star General - needed fix (-1p) Touchdown - needed fix (-1p) ======================================== Total number of releases : 14 (44) Total number of errors : 04 (06) Average points / release : 2.46 (2.98) This months total score : 30 (131) Percentage of releases : 27 % (62 %) ======================================== This months group score : 07/10 (10/10) _ ________________________ _____ ________ _ \\_____ \_____ \_____ \/ . \\_____ \\ dZG/\ __// _ |/ ____/. | \/\ __/ _/ \ \/ /_ _/ /_ | ! _/ \ \ \____\ \______\_________|_____\____\ \_ =======\___/===∙1911∙CD∙DIVISION∙======\___/ Duke 3d plutonium crack - (c) Id Soft 01 disk 1p Firo & Klawd - (c) BMG 45 disk 3p Heros of M&M - addon - (c) ??? 03 disk 1p Lion King - (c) Virgin 03 disk 3p Nascar Racing 2 - fix - (c) Virgin 01 disk 1p NBA Jam Extreme - (c) Acclaim 10 disk 3p Settlers 2 - addon - (c) Bluebyte 11 disk 1p Tunnel B1 - (c) Ocean 37 disk 3p ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Authors comments: Razor 1911, the group that never dies. After alot of members leaving for other groups, TSR retires and Akira got busted I didnt really have so much faith left in these guys... Well, I was wrong... Razor 1911 is the longest alive group on the PC with a glorious pile of games behind them... even if they lose ground sometimes, they will always be back ! Razor 1911 - the label that never retires ! Releasing errors: ======================================== Total number of releases : 08 (08) Total number of errors : 00 (06) Average points / release : 3.00 (2.75) This months total score : 16 (22) Percentage of releases : 16 % (11 %) ======================================== This months group score : 04/10 (05/10) Final Words ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PRESTIGE: The groups from last year are still around (Hybrid & Razor 1911) but this year they were both beaten by the newcommer on PC. Prestige who released more games in october than any group EVER in a month totally shocked us by breaking their own record in november and totally win the year with an amount of more than 170 releases. The reason to their success is mainly help from some of the best suppliers in the business and an old-school leadership with knowhow way back in the early scene. Prestige may have gotten themselves into trouble in the last months when some of the best suppliers decided to leave the group. Prestige has been a great release-force in 1996 but will they make it in 1997 ? HYBRID: Hybrid∩s been having it∩s ups and downs. With a slow start in early 96 gave space for rumours about ∩bad finances∩, ∩retired leaders∩ and ofcourse ∩alien influence∩. Non of this showed to be true (well, maybe the last rumour) and in spring, Hybrid did a comeback sadly to be filled with alot of releases that needed to be fixed. The euro-section who once introduced CD-ripping to the scene got tired of the low-quality releases made by US-section so they came up with a whole new group-concept in disk-size, spreading and releasing. This new concept was not accepted by the US-section which caused in the sad split when US-section of Hybrid plus some europeans left and started up Dynamix. Hybrid no longer was a international group but only based in Europe. They did however get their new concept to work with a non-BBS based structure and small organisation with one leader. This made them unbeatable in europe... The future of Hybrid seems both good and bad. Hybrid recently lost Animal & Dogfriend who decided to quit the scene. At the same time they managed to establish themselves in US which might lead to the total domination they once had. RAZOR 1911: It∩s been a interesting year with ofcourse some interesting titles. Quake, Grand Prix 2 and ofcourse the Command & Conquer sequel, Red Alert. This is all quality released by the one and same group that∩s been with us for such a long time I was hardly here when they started. Razor 1911 made a good year even though they never got passed the Prestige competition they sure laid their hands on the most important releases. Aproaching 1997 the crew at Razor 1911 got a few aces up their sleeve. For example they managed to recruit the supply god of north america, Zeus. They also got a new leadership that seems to have well-established contacts. Besides this we must all be reminded of Razor 1911∩s financial strenght for selling T-shirts, annual CD:s, DAT:s etc. This might be useful in a store-pickup war with the US competitors. Well, this is what I can tell you about the year that∩s been and hopefully you will see a new issue of the warez-report in the end of january... until then: - Merry-X-mas & a Happy New Year ! - -- MindBender '96